Sweating is important; however the jury is still out on whether or not sweating will release toxins from your body. My goal is to present you with the facts and allow you to develop your own opinion on this highly controversial subject.
Sweat is produced by the largest organ of the body, the skin. Its purpose is to cool your body’s temperature when it is becoming overheated. Your brain will send a signal to your sweat glands to secrete a clear fluid. Once this fluid hits the surrounding air, it causes a cooling effect on the body. Here is where the controversy comes into play: Does perspiration that is excreted from the glands in the skin contain harmful toxins from inside the body and is the body using the production of sweat to release these harmful toxins?
It is a known fact in the medical world that one way toxins are released from the human body is through the kidneys, lungs, bowels (digestive tract), and finally skin.
The function of the kidneys is to be the filter of our blood. As our blood travels through the kidney (many times a day) the waste is filtered out, creating urine and stored in the bladder to be excreted from the body, thus getting rid of toxins. It also regulates fluid and electrolytes in the body.
The function of the lungs, also known as the respiratory system, is to clean the air that your breath in from many of the harmful substances in our environments. These substances are removed by tiny hair particles in your nose (cilia), sneezed out, coughed up, or swallowed and excreted through the digestive tract.
The function of the digestive tract, better known as the bowel, is to remove waste product from the body after it helps the body absorb the nutrients and fluids from the foods we eat and drink.
Finally we get to the largest organ of the human body, the skin. As we discussed, one of its functions is to produce sweat from the glands that lie inside the skin, therefore cooling off the body. However, the question remains does this sweat contain toxins released by the body?
Fact 1: Exercise increases the body’s temperature therefore causing you to sweat.
Fact 2: Exercise increases the body’s heart rate therefore increasing the rate and speed blood is pumped throughout your body thus increasing kidney filtration and removal of toxins.
Fact 3: Exercise increases respiratory rate; taking in more air and releasing more carbon dioxide and harmful toxins found in the air.
Fact 4: Exercise increases the circulation of the lymph fluid in the body by the pumping of muscles therefore reducing joint swelling.
Fact 5: Exercise improves contraction of the intestinal tract (bowels) therefore resulting in improved consistency and production of bowel movements.
Fact 6: Exercise causes the release of hormones, better known as the feel good hormones, into the body resulting in better mood and decreased depression.
Fact 7: Exercise on a consistent basis will cause you to lose weight or remain at a healthy weight for your height and body type.
Fact 8: Exercise improves the quality of sleep by producing a significant rise in body temperature followed by a compensatory drop in body temperature a few hours later making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Fact 9: Exercise reduces stress because it improves psychological functioning. It serves as an outlet for the body’s excessive tension and provides a healthy way to release anger and anxiety.
Fact 10: Exercise improves memory and brain function by promoting growth of new nerve cells which aid in all functions of the brain and body!
So, whether or not toxins are released through sweat is up for debate. However, there are benefits to sweating and exercising and the ultimate result is the release of toxins by whichever method the body chooses; be it skin, lungs, kidneys, or bowels thus leading to a healthier you!
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